Nut-castellating machine



June 5, 1928.

' o. A. SMITH ET AL NUT CASTELLATING MACHINE F iled June 50, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet l June 5, 1928.

O. A. SMITH ET AL NUT CASTELLATING MACHINE Filed June so, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 5, 1928.

o. A. SMITH ET AL NUT CASTELLATING MACHINE Filed June 30, 1923 4Sheets-Sheet 5 June 5, 1928.

O. A. SMITH ET AL NUT CASTELLATING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 30, 1923' All? Patented June 5, 1928.

UNITED STATES osoaa A. SMITH, or EAST CLEVELAND, AND rennan's. KINLEY, or LAKEWOOD, 01:10,

ASSIGNORS TO THE NATIONAL ACME COMPANY, or CLEVELAND, 01110, A cosmona- 'IION OF OHIO.

Nur-oAsrELLA'rING MACHINE.

Application filed June so, 1923 Serial No." 648,755.

This invention relates to nut castella-ting machines, an object of the invention being to provide improved mechanism for "castellating nut blanks wherein all of the opera tions including the successive feeding of the blanks to the unching mechanism, the punching of the nut blanks and the extraction or ejection of thefcastellated blanks, will be performed automatically, thereby. greatly decreasing the cost oflabor, increasing the output, and improving the operation of the machine. The present improved machine therefore is'so organized'and operated as to result in a considerable reduction in the cost of production with an accompanying increase in efliciency and volume of output.

A- further object of the present invention is to provide an improved machine for castellating nut blanks having mechanism automatically operated for feeding the nut blanks successively to the punching mechanism. v

A further object of this invention is to provide a nut castellating machine having automatically operated mechanism for positively ejecting or discharging the nut blanks after they have been castellatedby the punch mechanism.

A further: object of this invention is to provide an. improved nut castellating ma-.

chine having means for feeding thenut blanks to the punch mechanism, means for positively ejecting or discharging the finished blanks and automatic means for operating the feeding and ejecting means.

Other objects of this invention will appear in the following description and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, wherein like reference characters.

indicate corresponding parts in the several news and wherein Fig. 1 1s a side-view part- .ly in section illustrating particularly the automatic mechanism for operating the view showing the tension spring mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a detail View similar to Fig. 5 but partly in section; Fig. dis a sectional plan view illustrating the position of the punch.

holder-and extractor or ejector; 7 is a left hand and. view partly diagram'matical'of the construction shown inFig. 6: Fig. 8 is a vertical transverse section taken on line 8,8 of Fig. 6 and Fig. 9 is a detail sectional view showing the'conn'ection of the cam op-, erated lever with the feedlever. Before explaining in detail the resent improvement and mode of operation t lereof, We desire to have it understood that the invention is not limited to the details of con-i struction and arrangement of. parts which i assigneeof the present invention.

In. the machine covered by said patent the blanks were fed successively from a magazine to the punch mechainsm by means of a feed rod operated by ahand lever. Furthermore in. this machine the finished blanks were I extracted from the die mechanism by means of the gripping engagement of the end ofthe feed rod with the blank, so that upon'with- "drawing the feed rod the blank was withdrawn therewith and extracted upon coming in'contact with the corner of a spring plung er. An operator was required to be inconstant attendance on each castellating machine of this oatent, since the feeding and extract- I ing oft e blanks was accomplished by hand. It has been found in practice that such a machine was not always fully efficient and effective in operation, due to the fact that the proper operation of the machine dependedto a considerable extent upon the feeding and extracting of the nut blanks at the proper times, and where the exact timing of the feed and extraction of the blanks depended entirely upon the vigilance and judgment'of the operator the required efficiency and speed in production was not fully obtained.

.Furthermore, it has been found in practice that where the extraction of the finished blanks depended upon the frictional grip of not always obtained.

however are overcome by virtue of the pres four times.

the end of the feed rod with the bore of be blank the most satisfactory and efiicient results in the extraction of the blanks were These disadvantages so that as a result the labor cost which is a most important item is cut downat least The present improved mechanism is especially designed for the purpose of punching blanks, such as nut blanks having a cylindrical hole axially of the blank, and the machine embodies a punch press of any suitable type, a detailed description of which is not deemed necessary herein. Further more, only so much of the machine as is necessary for an understanding of this invention is herein shown and described, many of the main parts of the machine, including. the punch mechanism, being shownin my prior patent and in themselves forming no part of this invention.

To the stand or base 2 of the machine is bolted at 3 a suitable bracket 4. and to the upper'outer face of this bracket is bolted a housing member 5. ,in they upper portion of the housing 5 is In suitable bearings mounted a shaft 6, and below this shaft at one side of the housing the latter is provided with a suitable bore in which is housed a stud 7. Mounted upon the shaft 6 and the stud 7 are a series of change gears 8 which may be of the usual type well-known in all Acme machines.

Mounted upon the shaft 6 adjacent to the change gears and resting against the outer face of the housing 5 and connected to the change gears in the usual manner is a-chain driving sprocket 9. This'sprocket is connected and driven by means of a chain 10 to a sprocket, 11 secured to the outer end of the crank shaft 12 of the machine. The

crank shaft 12 and sprocket 11 are shown diagrammatically in Fig. 3, the same being carried at the upper part of the machine as shown in my priorcpatent. Thus, it will be seen that the shaft 6 is driven by means of the sprocket 9 from the main shaft through the medium of the change gears 8. and by u'l-eans of these gears any required speed ratio can be obtained at will. Loosely mounted upon the driven shaft 6is an actuating cam disk 13 which rests against the inner side of the bearing, for theshaft' 6 located at the side of the housing; 5 opposite to the sprocket'wheel 9. The cam disk 13 the shaft 6 bymeans of a suitable key and key way (not shown).

The clutch collars or members 16 and 17 are provided with suitable mating teeth and grooves, and the outer face of the member 17 is provided with a groove 1.8. A bracket 19 is bolted at 20 to the housing 5 (see Figs. 2 andB), and to this bracket ispivot'ed by means of a bolt 20" an operating lever 21., the lower end of the lever 21 beingprovided with suitable studs. and rolls 22 which cooperate with the groove 18 in clutch member 17. By means of the lever 21 therefore, the clutch members 16 and 17 may be disconnectech thus disconnecting the cam 13 from the drive shaft 6, and by shifting the lever 21 to the position shown in Fig. 2, the clutch members 16 and 17 will be connected thereby driving the cam'disk 13 from the shaft. Secured to the frame of the machine and extending therefrom are a pair of extensions or bars 23 which are spaced apart in parallel relation, and bolted to these bars is a magazine supporting bracket or housing 24. To the inner end of this bracket or housing is mounted in proper position a magazine 25. This magazine preferably comprises a vertical member 26 havinga feed channel 26. and an'inclined member 27 having a similar feed channel communicating therewith, members 26 and 27 of the magazine being bolted'together as illustrated. The lower men'iber 26 of the manazine at one side of the feed channel. is provided with a vertical bore in which. is housed a stripper plunger28 and. an actu ating spring 29 hearing against the upper end of the plunger. The frontpart of the plunger 28 projects laterally through an opening 28, see Fig. 41, in the lower end of the magazine and is normally seated upon a notchcdedgze 28 of the housmgj2a see Fig. 1', so as to extend partially into the channel 33. The lower end of the magazine forms with the magazine housing 2 1, a lengthwise extending channel 33 for receiving the nut blank and for permitting the reciprocation of the feed plunger which is operated to feed the blank from the zine to the punch mechanism. At opposite sides of the housing 24, adjacent to the front thereof are bolted a pair of brat .et members 30, the ends of these lllellllli-z being bent At one outwardly at 31 in spaced relationto the feed channel andbored to-receivefplungers 32 which are in alinement with each other and which extend from opposite sides into suitable bores in the lower end of the magazine and into thelengthwiseextending channel'33. Springs 34embrace the plungers 32 and maintain the same under tension.

The channel extends rearwardly through the housing 24 and forms a bore for receiving a feed plunger 35; The forward end of the plunger 35 is machined at 36 so as to fit into the bore of the nut blank, and the plunger is also slotted'from the front end a suitable distance rearwardly at 37 and tempered in order 'to provide resilient or tension jaws which will enter the bore of the blanks under tension. The rear end of the plunger 35 is provided with a bore 38 into which one end of a cushion plunger 39 extends the opposite end of the plunger being provided with an enlarged portion 40 between which and the end of plunger 35 is mounted a tension spring 41. The cushion plunger 39 isprovided with a suitable lengthwise extending slot 42 through which a pin passes and which pin is fastened to the plunger 35. p The purpose of this slot 42 is to permit a slight amount of lost motion.

The enlarged end 40 of cushion plunger 39 is slotted for thereception of one end of a connecting link 43,.which is connected thereto by means of a pivot pin 44. The link 43 at one side thereof is provided with a lengthwise extending V-shaped groove 45 terminating at opposite ends in stations 46 and 47 which are somewhat deeper than the .groove 45. A lever 48 is pivoted at its lower end49 to the housing 5, and the upper end of this lever is crotched at'5O to receive and embrace the actuating link. or member 43. Safety mechanism is provided for connecting together lever 48 and link 43, so that in casethe feed plunger 35 is prevented from operating 7 through jamming of the feed passage 33: or through other cause, the

safety .mechanism' will render the camming mechanism ineffective and prevent breakage of any parts.

together the lever 48 and link 43. In case the mechanism should become jammed or otherwise fail to operate the power applied 7 to the lever 48 willovercome the tension of spring 53 and force the plunger: out of the station 46, thus permitting the lever 48.tov

shift relatively to the lever 43, the end of the plunger 52. traveling in the V-shaped groove 45.

Intermediate the ends of the lever 48 is mounted a cam roller 54-which is adapted Secured to one side of the lever 48 is a member 51 which is bored to.

to cooperate at the proper time with the cam groove 15 of the disc 13. This cam groove or slot comprises angular-portions 15 and 15 the groove15 acting to-adva-nce the feed plunger and retract the ejector plunger, and the groove 15 acting to retract the feed plunger and advance the ejector.

An ej ector or extractor lever 55 is pivotally connected at its upper end 56 at a suitable point'to the bearing block 57 for the punch mechanism, and the lower end of this lever is machined so as to enter a recess 58 machined in a connecting rod 59 which. is mounted 1n a suitable groove in the under side of the bearing block 57. A connecting link 60 is pivotally connected to the end of the link 59, a-nd the link 60 at its opposite end is slotted at 62 to receive a suitable pin 61 secured to the lever 48., The bearing block 57 is machined to provide a "lengthwise extending groovefor receiving an ejector or extractor plunger 63. This ejector atone side is provided with a pin 64 which-extends into a slot in the lever 55, and it will be seen that when the lever'55 is swung in either direction the ejector 631 will be shifted lengthwise inthe bearing block 57. The bearing block 57 is also recessed at; 65 to receive a horizontally extending punch holder 66. This punch holder carries a punch 67 having a lengthwise extending narrow rib projecting forwardly from the punch holder and forming a punch point 68. The punch holder 66 at its forward end is suitably machined or cut away at 69 and'the ejector 63 at its forward end is provided with a laterally. tapering offset portion 70 extending in juxtaposition to the machined portion'69, and the offset portion 70 of the ejector terminates in-an ejector point 71. It will thus beseen that the ejector rests against-and extends alongside of the punch holder, and although both the ejector point 71 and the punchv point '68 are located approximately at the bore of the nutblank72, yet the construction is such that the operation of-the punch will not: interfere-with the operation of the ejector, this being permitted by means of the relief portion 69 on the punch holder and the cone '1 spondingly offset portion 70 of the ejector.

Cooperating. with the punch 67 is a die 73, which is preferably constructed in the manner. illustratedin the aforesaid Patent No. 1,157,258, and the blanks 72 when fed into the die 73 are located and held in proper position by means ofa holder plate 7 4 hav ing spring tensioned jaws (not shown) for engagement with the Hat faces of the nut blank. The construction of the holder plate as well as'the means for indcxing, and looking the die may be the same as in the above patent, and therefore a furtherdetailed description thereof is not deemed necessary herein. The punch holder 66 is also conill ' patent, the plunger through its actuating mechanism, carries a nut blank 72 into the die 73,'and after the ram has been operated to cause the punch 67 to punch six slots in the nut blank, the eject-or plunger 63 is operated through the lever to eject the lin ished nut blank. Thus, at one beat of the ram the nut blank is fed into the die, and at.

another lostbeat of the ram the nut is ejected from the die, so that with eight beats of the ram or press, one for loading and one for unloading, a complete nut is automatically slotted.

The punch is returned to its original position in readiness for the next slotting opera tion by means of a spring plunger 85 which is supported below the punch holder 66. The plunger 85 has a constant bearing upon the underside of the holder 66, and as the rain 80 descends this plunger is forceddownward and a spring 86 is compressed. The position to which the punch is shifted is controlled by adjusting nuts 87 on the lower end of the plunger 85.

By means of the cam 18, the lever 1 .8 will be shifted forwardly, thus shifting the slot ted end 36 of the plunger 35 into the bore of a nut blank at the lower end of the magazine,'and when the plunger'35 is shifted forwardly the nut blank engages the tapered ends 32 of the tension plungers 82 which act to retard the nut blank sufliciently so as to insure the end 36 of the plunger fully entering the bore of the blank. Also, when the blank is carried forwardly by the plunger 35. it engages the tapered corner 28 of the plunger 28 which will be forced. upwardly out of the channel 83 against the action of spring 29, and at the same time assisting in retarding the blank to permit "the slotted end 36 to fully enter the hole in the blank. When the nut blank has been fed .into the proper position in the die 7 3 the cam plunger 35 withdraws the nut blank, the same will be extracted by engagement with the end of the plunger 28, thus acting as a stripper for removing the nut blank after it fails to enter the die properly.

After the nut blank has been properly slotted the cam roller 54 will pass into the groove 15 of the cam disk and will retract the lever 48, and at this time the ejector 63 will be shifted forwardly as the'plunger 35 is shifted away from the die and'will engage the nut blank and eject it from the vdie holder 74. The lever 48 normally is connected to the lever 43 by means of plunger 52 at station 46. If however, anything should happen to jam the magazine so that the nut blank would not pass into the die,

the plunger 52 will be forced out of the station 46 permitting the lever 48 to shift relatively to the levert3. Thus, this mechanism for connecting these levers forms a safety connection between the same" to prevent breakage of the parts or jamming thereof. If the lever 48 shifts out of the station 46, as

shown in Fig. 1, the machine is then stopped by the operator and the lever is pulled rear .wardly to its proper working position.

A lost motion slot 62 on link is provided so that the exact'time for ejecting the blank will be secured. It has been found in practice that if the lever 18 is directly pivoted to link 60 the ejector may operate too soon, so that by means'of this slot the exact time for extracting the nut blank can .be determined.

will be noted that the punch 67 has the working end 68 thereof extending approximately in the direction of the axis of the blank 72. The working end 71 of the ejector is located somewhat to one side of the axis of I the blank so that when reciprocated it will engage the blank. By recessing the punch holder 66 at 69 and by offsetting the ejector at 7 0,itis possible to position the ejector l mu Referring particularly toFigs. 6 and 7 it the ejector, although in juxtaposition to the working end 68 of the punch, does not interfere with the vertical reciprocation of the punch. 7

It is to be understood that-by describing in detail herein any particular form, structure, or arrangement, it is not intended to limit the invention beyond the terms of'the several claims or the requirements of the prior art.

Having thus explained the natureof this invention and described a way of constructing and using the same, although without attempting tn set forth all. of the farms in.

' advance of the ejecting member to eject a blank. I

2. In a nut castellating machine, the combination of a nut blank holder, a feed member for feeding blanks thereto, an ejecting member, a punch supported and operated to punch the blank from the .center opening outwardly, cam mechanism for shifting the feed and ejecting members and including means for shiftingone prior to the other.

3. In a machine of the class described the combination of a punch, blank feeding mechanism, blank ejecting mechanism, a cam,

means controlled by said cam for. operating both of said mechanisms, said cam having a pair of angular cam faces for alternately advancing and retracting said mechanisms.

I. In a machine of the class described the combination of a blank feed plunger, an ejector, camming means, means controlled by said camming means for operating said feed plunger and ejector, said camming means having a pair of angular cam faces, one for retracting the feed plunger and for shifting the ejector to eject a blank, and the other for advancing the feed plunger and retracting the ejector.

, 5. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a punch, a blank feed plunger, an ejector, camming means, means controlled by said camming means for operating said feed plunger and ejector, said camming means having a pair of angular cam faces, one for retracting the feed plunger and for shifting the ejector ,to eject a blank, and the other for advancing the feed plunger and retracting the ejector, said camming means also having a cam face for maintaining said feed plunger in ad vanced position during the operation of the punch.

6. In a nut castellating machine, the combination of a nut blank holder, a punch supported and operated to castellate a blank, a feed member for feeding a blank to said holder, an ejecting member, and a common means for operating said feed and ejecting members and including a lost motion connection between said means and ejecting member.

7. In a nut castellating machine, the combination of a die, a horizontally located punch holder, a punch carried thereby, and

a horizontally located blank ejector extending in juxtaposition to said punch holder,

said ejector having an inwardly offset portion extending toward the axis of said die.

8. In a machine of the class described the combination of a punch and an ejector having the working ends thereof located side by side, means for supporting said punch for operation thereof to punch a blank from the inside out, and means for supporting said ejector for movement transversely to the movement of said punch.

9. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a punch, blank feeding means, blank ejecting means, and aconmion means for simultaneously operating said feeding means and ejecting means in different directions, and including means for permitting one to commence movement prior to the other.

10. In a nut castellating machine, the combination of an indeXible rotatable nut blank carrier, means for punching a blank carried by said carrier from the lnside out, a magazine, means for feeding a nut blank from the magazine to the carrier and including a plunger, means for forcing the blank on to the plunger, means for stripping a blank from the plunger, ejecting means for ejecting the blank from the carrier, and power driven means for operating said blank feed-,

ing means in proper sequence.

11. In a nut castellating machine, the combination of an indexible rotatable nut blank carrier, means for punching a blank carried means, punching means and ejecting by said carrier from the inside out, a magazine, means for feeding a nut blank from the magazine to the carrier and including a plunger, safety mechanism for said blank feeding means, means for forcing the blank on to the plunger, means for stripping a blank from the plunger, ejecting means for ejecting the blank from the carrier, and power driven means for operating said blank feeding-means, punching means and ejecting means m proper sequence.

12. In a nut castellating machine, thecom- I bination of an indexible rotatable nut blank carrier, means for punching a blank carried by said carrier from the inside out, a' magazine,'means for feeding a nut blank from the magazine to the carrier and including a plunger, safety mechanism for said blank feeding means, means for forcing the blank on to the plunger, means for stripping a blank from the plunger, ejecting means for ejecting the blank fromthe carrier and having a lost-motion connection, and power driven means for operating said blank feeding means, punching means and; ejecting means in proper sequence.

Signed at Cleveland, Ohio, this 27 day of June 1923. 7

OSCAR A. SMITH. RICHARD o. KINLEY. 

